Start of our float down the Big Piney river
My steed for the day
and it's off we go, dry sack for the camera in case I fall in :-)
One of the steel bridges that cross the river
Nice bluff
Floating means a lot of this
Was going to say look a beaver lodge!
Another bridge and a good set of bluffs
The old Route 66 bridge, built as two seperate bridges side by side
Ahh that's more like it - a beer in hand is worth?
Ginger is trying to hide her's
The 2G's
Tail end of a turtle about to make a splash - was fine until It saw the camera
Bluffs near the end of the trip
What a great day, floating down two rivers in the sunshine basically on our own for the most part. Gary arranged for the hire of three kayaks for an eight mile float down the Big Piney and Gasconade rivers. The owner dropped a couple off at a put in point on the Big Piney then took us further upstream for our start point. Never been on a kayak before so all new experience. Had bought a dry sack for the camera etc so that if I fell in all would be okay. I had a red sit on kayak whilst the 2G's had sit in ones.
Off we set and had a practice session at the start where the river was nice and gentle - and shallow. After a few minutes it was off and through the first set of rapids (shallow). It was brilliant floating down the river, rapids not very difficult as river just high enough through them to enable one to float through. The sun was shining, the river nice and clear and by now i was nice and mellow. Had loads of dragonflies alight on the boat, oars and my arms. Plenty to see along the river banks, bluffs and bridges. The one of most interest was the bridge originally constructed to carry Route 66. Great to be able to view from underneath and look at the construction. We took our time looking up at all the bridges where able including the modern I-40 bridge.
We stopped several times, lunch, drinks etc, very thirsty work this floating; it is a good job one did not have to do a lot of paddling might have got tired. Where the Piney joined the Gasconade river the colour changed to a murky brown. It was interesting to float over the confluence and see the different colours in the water. the current here was much stronger and river much wider. I did not realise it at the time but this river is 265 miles long and flows into the Missouri river. It is also one of the most crookedest rivers in the world, being completely within the Missouri State boundary. The blurb says it is a good float river and one can go for miles without seeing another boat - try the section we were on - pesky boats with outboard motors, mostly showing off of course.
The slipway at Boiling Spring is well used and we had a small number of powered boats up and down the very last stretch of our float. Boiling Spring is located within the river itself near the edge and lived up to it's name. It is Missouri's 14th largest spring delivering 42 million gallons a day into the river. Over the spring the water was a blue colour and very cold. It was not difficult to position the kayak over the spring itself but to hold it there required some effort with the paddle.
I thoughly enjoyed the trip and would not hesitate to do more. Certainly this was a very gentle introduction to kayaking, the rapids were not difficult just my inexperience in handling the boat made life a little more difficult than it should have been. Nobody fell in, camera's did not get wet and we drunk all the beer and sodas I think. Thanks to Ginger and Gary for a really pleasant day out.
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